farmer's market, friendship square and a broken tooth

What a day! It was a fun-filled day as we got together with some very sweet friends in our ward. We walked down to downtown Moscow, for the Farmer's Market and to let the kids play at Friendship Square.
Ryanna, Dawson and their buddy Cole getting ready for our walk down to the Farmer's Market!

(Sorry Kristin, I tried to not get you, but I got all of you!) I thought this was a sweet picture, the boys holding hands and being led by a superb mother; and then the older kids waiting for them patiently. I just had the thought of, "Lead me, guide me, walk beside me..." It's funny how many words a single picture can say to me!

Bryce and Dawson being all silly.
My kid's first time experiencing Honey Sticks. (I know, I'm behind the times here)
I thought this was kinda cool: CAN YOU FIND RYANNA?
Dawson peeking through the bars on the play equipment.
Carter and the sun in his eyes.
Dawson surfs (yes, SURFS) down the slide.


At the end of the day, the kids are bathed, fed and ready for their book. Ryanna reads to Dawson and then it's off to bed with them!


Oh yes, I majorly broke one of my molars tonight. Those of you who know me know that I'm absolutely terrified of the dentist's office, so I'll do my best to be brave and document how many stickers I get for being a good girl.

summer fun

Yesterday we went outside to play in the water since it was too hot inside. Karen was over and we helped the kids get their Little Tykes Beach Ball out that my mom (thank you!) gave the kids last year!
Ryanna was very anxious to get her hands on it and since she's our water-lover, she immediately jumped right in and got wet.






Cute Carter and his little tongue!
What a stud in those sunglasses!



Dawson the cool in his glasses!
Both of the boys are still reluctant with the water.








Carter did not like the water one little bit! He kept crying if any drop got him. I think it was more surprising to him than actually being wet!

notice anything different?

(no it's not her allergy-induced slightly-swollen right eye!)

we love bows

My sweet high-school friend sent these bows she made to Ryanna! And Ryanna loves them, she insisted on wearing ALL of them at once. That was so sweet, thank you Becca! They are DARLING!

no english? no problem!

I make fun of those who carry their cameras with them on a daily basis.....and now I'm one of them. I planned on going to a friend's house after Carter's appointment this morning and thought that it would be fun to have my camera to blog our afternoon. Ironically enough, I actually used it more in the waiting room during Carter's checkup. There was this couple who just fell head over heels for the kids and played with them for an hour!
**THEY DIDN'T SPEAK A WORD OF ENGLISH** and I only speak one word (if you can count it) "Hello!" in Mandarin, Ni Hao. I was so excited when we were playing with the kids in our own tongues and yet we were able to understand eachother that way. I knew that my mom would be so proud! I had my own chinese experience here in Moscow! I knew that she'd be proud of me for carrying my camera with me.
They were so warm and loving, I got hugs before they left. They wanted me to take more pictures of them with the kids, and I was touched by their immediate trust, even though they didn't undstand me and I didn't understand them.






Ni Hao!

climbin around

This is Carter.


See Carter climbing around like a little monkey.
See Carter get stuck.

See Carter waving "bye bye!"



Ohhh, how we love Carter!

stuck stuck stuck

Ha! I figured out that he CAN'T get up onto the table if I push in the chairs completely! See? I outwitted a one-year-old!

alas, poor last box of poifull, I knew you

When I was a kid, my Dad used to bring these little treasures home from his business trips. We would beg him to bring us boxes and we'd savor every single piece. Sometimes a half of a box would be hidden, thus ensuring that someone would have some candy left over long after the others had eaten theirs all gone.

Last Christmas, we got a bunch of boxes from the Chinese Santa Claus in our stockings. The kids and I have whittled our stash down, piece by piece, bean by bean. We have let the sugar molecules be melted ever so slowly, not wanting to chew it one little iota; for if we chewed it, it would be gone in an instant.

We have a few here and there: a treat in the movie theater, a bribe to be quiet in Sacrament Meeting, an persuasive treat to be nice to your sister, etc. However, 6 months later, we are on the VERY LAST BOX. How I wish that the Chinese Santa Claus could visit again..... How I long for you, my dear delicious boxes of Poifull! Such little bits of nostalgia has never been so loved.